In 2015, artist Matthew Chavez was recovering from a motorcycle accident that left him in the hospital for three weeks and unable to walk for months when he planted the seeds for Subway therapya public participatory art project that has become a phenomenon in the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) system.

“I thought a lot about how grateful I was for my family and my friends who stepped up for me,” Chavez said in an interview with Hyperallergic. “I thought: You know what? I want to perform for people who don’t have that in New York.”

That Christmas Day, Chavez said he set out to become “New York’s Secret Keeper,” asking strangers to confess a secret with him to ease the burden of owning it.

“As a foreigner, it wouldn’t be that hard for me, but I would help them carry the weight,” Chavez said.

Shortly after launching his secret-sharing campaign, Chavez — who is not a licensed counselor — said he began holding mock therapy sessions, setting up a mobile “office” in subway stations, complete with wall art on which it could be found in a private cabinet and two chairs. where Chavez and participants would enact therapeutic confessions.

Subway therapy rose to prominence in November 2016when Donald Trump secured the White House for the first time. Chavez incorporated sticky notes into the show, taking the project out of the hands of the artist and into the hands of thousands of people who ride the subway every day.

This month, Chavez recreated the project the week of Nov. 7, capturing a rare glimpse into the thoughts of New Yorkers after the election.

At the height of the project’s post-election popularity in 2016, former governor Andrew Cuomo left a note his: “New York State Holds the Torch! –Andrew C.” Strangers left messages including “Trump is inhumane,” “Love to my Muslim brothers and sisters,” feelings of anger at the electoral college and the popular slogan “Love trumps hate.”

Eight years later, the rhetoric hanging from neon Post-it squares is different. While there was barely room for another ticket at Union Square Station in 2016, this year’s confessionals are less crowded and their messages seem less reactive to a Trump victory.

Chavez set up shop between November 5 and 10 in an underpass in the 14th Street subway complex with a message written on sticky notes: “What are you thinking?”

Scribbled messages this month included calls to action such as “Free all innocent black men and women,” “Love and protect trans people,” “Free Cuba” and “Democrat or Republican, both send billions to Israel, give up bread and circuses .” However, more common than the overtly political statements in this year’s crop of notes were the witty personal observations of the participants.

In English, Spanish and French, passers-by contributed intimate thoughts to the public wall, perhaps indicating an ambivalence about this year’s election. “Gracias New York por permitirme conocer al chico de mis sueños,” a note written in italics. (“Thank you New York for letting me meet the boy of my dreams.”)

Others wrote “I just had an amazing date”, “The price of a coffee is expensive (sic)”, “This wall is vibrating, it makes me cry”, “Brat”, “I miss my family and my boyfriend” and “Quiero Taco Bell.” Other notes shared cancer diagnoses, grief for lost parents, and mental health struggles.

Chavez attributes the difference in messaging to a change in the prompt this year. “In the past, we’ve done ‘Speak for the Election,'” Chavez said. One observation that has remained constant over the years, he explained, is the persistent need for public expression among New Yorkers.

Chavez also started his own nonprofit, Listening Lab, which hosts events and workshops on listening and “community development.” Now he is doing well Subway therapy through the organization and sends volunteers underground for the project’s subway pop-ups at stations including Columbus Circle and Union Square.

“One thing that is so ever-present is how much people need opportunities to express themselves in shared space,” Chavez said. “There’s this huge gap, this big chasm between people who are dealing with the same thing.”